sadness that won't go away;
feelings of guilt, worthlessness or hopelessness;
loss of interest in usual activities
changes in eating or sleeping habits, weight loss or gain
missed school or poor school performance;
aches and pains that don't get better with treatment; and thoughts about death or suicide.
Sleeping more or less than usual
slow or agitated physical and/or spoken responses (feeling slowed down or restless)
Lacking energy or feeling tired all the time
irritability
trouble thinking;concentrating

Here is a sites with some informations:

Major Depression in Children and Adolescents (http://www.mentalhealth.org/publications/allpubs/CA-0011/default.asp)

I am placing the links to the many many many other fact sheets on other disorders in those forums, so look up your other disorders and check the fact sheets out for them too)

Smilodon_UP

01-21-12, 04:42 AM

Wasn't sure where to put this, but here seems as good a place as any.

Suicide: The Forever Decision

Paul Quinnett, Ph.D.

To help save lives, the best-selling book Suicide the Forever Decision, For those Thinking about Suicide and for Those who Know, Love and Counsel Them, by Paul Quinnett, Ph.D. is herewith made available in a free electronic format (http://www.qprinstitute.com/forever.html) to anyone in the world who wishes to read it or share it with others. Electronic copying, translation and distribution is strongly encouraged.

myjade_84

06-22-13, 02:26 AM

An illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and that affects the way a person eats, sleeps, feels about himself or herself, and thinks about things. Depression is not the same as a passing blue mood. It is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be wished away. People with depression cannot merely 'pull themselves together' and get better. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years. Appropriate treatment, however, can help most people with depression. The signs and symptoms of depression include loss of interest in activities that were once interesting or enjoyable, including sex; loss of appetite, with weight loss, or overeating, with weight gain; loss of emotional expression (flat affect); a persistently sad, anxious, or empty mood; feelings of hopelessness, pessimism, guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness; social withdrawal; unusual fatigue, low energy level, a feeling of being slowed down; sleep disturbance and insomnia, early-morning awakening or oversleeping; trouble concentrating, remembering, or making decisions; unusual restlessness or irritability; persistent physical problems such as headaches, digestive disorders, or chronic pain that do not respond to treatment, and thoughts of death or suicide or suicide attempts. The principal types of depression are called major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disease (manic-depressive disease).

Last week, the FDA announced that it plans to approve cranial electrotherapy stimulation, the simple handheld medical device currently cleared to treat depression, anxiety, and insomnia. The FDA “has determined that there is sufficient information to establish special controls, and that these special controls, together with general controls, will provide a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness for CES devices.”1 In short, cranial electrotherapy will soon become the only medical device in the United States that is FDA-approved to treat insomnia and anxiety, and the only home-use device approved to treat depression. As such, it becomes part of the psychiatric armamentarium.
To some, this is jaw-dropping news. But this device has been used in psychiatry practice for years and can be an essential adjunctive treatment to standard modalities of care for soldiers and veterans.
Cranial electrotherapy devices are essentially handheld pulse generators that deliver very low electric outputs. The device generates 1/1000 the output of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and connects with sponge electrodes to the side of the head. Patients use the device for 20 minutes twice a day for the first 6 weeks, then less frequently as needed. The device is easy to use and comfortable; it allows patients to go about their morning routine comfortably. The electrical current is gentle (no greater than 4 mA). This is why these devices are often referred to as electroceuticals—not quite as handy as popping a pill, but a lot more convenient than transcranial magnetic stimulation or ECT treatments in doctors’ offices. And cranial electrotherapy causes no serious adverse effects—only a headache or dizziness in fewer than 1 of 250 patients.2
Used as an adjunct to drug therapy and other treatments, cranial electrotherapy is affordable without insurance and easy for patients to use without supervision. The cost ranges from $600 to $800, depending on the manufacturer and features. When used as an adjunct to antidepressants, medication dosages can be adjusted as clinically indicated according to symptoms and adverse effects. Cranial electrotherapy has been shown to attenuate methadone withdrawal and to improve cognitive function in chemically dependent patients.3
The current indication language from the FDA does not specify a diagnosis, but the device is used for the symptomatic treatment of depression, anxiety, and insomnia. This fits with a patient-centered, empirical approach to treatment. This may fly counter to the prevailing DSM-5 culture, but aligns nicely with the realities of many psychiatric practices.
Many of my patients are veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, soldiers who have experienced multiple concussions and suffer from the cumulative symptoms of posttraumatic stress, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and chronic pain. I recommend using the device at home twice a day for 20 minutes at 2 mA. If after 2 weeks there are no changes in symptoms, the current is raised to 4 mA. It is common for sleep to improve after 5 days of twice-daily use. I often see alcohol and drug withdrawal symptoms profoundly diminish after several more days. About 70% of my patients report improvement in their sleep disturbance, anxiety, and depression.
There is published research spanning over 40 years, with at least 20 double-blind placebo-controlled studies that prove benefit outweighs risk.4,5 Several studies suggest that cranial electrotherapy triggers changes in neurotransmitters and endorphin release.6,7
Too many patients do not improve with standard of care. Our nation is facing a mental health crisis in our returning soldiers and veterans. At a time when the VA system is struggling to meet the needs of these patients, I am encouraged that the FDA has recognized that this low-risk technology should be added to our armamentarium.

Note: I have been using my homemade CES device since 2013 for stress, depression and insomnia. A 30 minute session per day is sufficient.

BrokenWing60

09-22-17, 03:35 PM

Hey, My Jade 84.. you have described my life to a T... for the last 20 or so years.... no, actually most of my life 😏😔. I loved to Bike ride, go for long walks, Garden, read Novels & cook/bake... like things Normal people do with ease.... but when off meds, I can't focus to read, comprehend if I do attend a work related education day/class, or organize myself enough to even have my favourite baking binges... like I used too... The Social anxiety gets so bad, I stopped growing a garden or going for bike rides like I always used to love & still would love to do, if I could get past the anxiety of running into someone I know & having to visit/talk to someone.... I'm also at a time were renewing my Career license might be in jeopardy if I don't get into class to recertify/upgrade... But if you did meet me, I have spent so many years covering up my Social anxiety & ADD anxiety, (when I'm forced to go out), you probably wouldn't even realize I have Anxiety, or notice I'm ready to explode with anxiety on the inside.... I have been on Effexor and Ritalin in the past. But do to my Social anxiety, usually when my prescription runs out, it takes me for ever to get up the nerve to go back to my Dr. For a refill. Was off Meds 4 years this time😳😳.... So then as you probably well know, the depression, Social anxiety and ADD drive me backwards into a lonely, hallow life where everyday is a struggle. and I segregate myself to a few very limited comfort zones. So after 4 years, And spiralling downward..... I finally got the nerve to see a General Practitioner yesterday😊. Does anyone out there think there's a better med than Effexor for such severe anxiety, but one that won't make me a zombie, I want more energy to live my life to the fullest... I think the dr just gave me a Effexor RX cause I had been on it before, even tho I told her, I don't think it was a huge help, but helped a little....

nuvisys

10-02-17, 11:52 AM

Hey, My Jade 84.. you have described my life to a T... for the last 20 or so years.... no, actually most of my life ����. I loved to Bike ride, go for long walks, Garden, read Novels & cook/bake... like things Normal people do with ease.... but when off meds, I can't focus to read, comprehend if I do attend a work related education day/class, or organize myself enough to even have my favourite baking binges... like I used too... The Social anxiety gets so bad, I stopped growing a garden or going for bike rides like I always used to love & still would love to do, if I could get past the anxiety of running into someone I know & having to visit/talk to someone.... I'm also at a time were renewing my Career license might be in jeopardy if I don't get into class to recertify/upgrade... But if you did meet me, I have spent so many years covering up my Social anxiety & ADD anxiety, (when I'm forced to go out), you probably wouldn't even realize I have Anxiety, or notice I'm ready to explode with anxiety on the inside.... I have been on Effexor and Ritalin in the past. But do to my Social anxiety, usually when my prescription runs out, it takes me for ever to get up the nerve to go back to my Dr. For a refill. Was off Meds 4 years this time����.... So then as you probably well know, the depression, Social anxiety and ADD drive me backwards into a lonely, hallow life where everyday is a struggle. and I segregate myself to a few very limited comfort zones. So after 4 years, And spiralling downward..... I finally got the nerve to see a General Practitioner yesterday��. Does anyone out there think there's a better med than Effexor for such severe anxiety, but one that won't make me a zombie, I want more energy to live my life to the fullest... I think the dr just gave me a Effexor RX cause I had been on it before, even tho I told her, I don't think it was a huge help, but helped a little....

Since you live in Canada, check out SOTA's brain tuner for depression. I hope it will effective for you as it is with me and my homemade device (less than 100usd). You can tell them about your problem and I hope that it will benefit you.